Found Miles...and Social to Boot
Date: Oct 20 Sat
Mileage: 18 (Crosscheck)
October mileage: 290
Year to date: 1891
Temps: 65 p.m. sunny
Weekends have been quite the undertaking this fall. L has had a minimum of 1 game a weekend, and sometimes 2 with his club soccer. Z has now had 5 or so with his Rec soccer. On top of constant soccer games, we've been clearing out the house for the construction project- pics to follow. And inevitably there have been other family commitments. Yikes! Today involved a 9a.m. game, a brief break, a 1.00 game across town, a break and then a 4.00 Halloween party hosted by one of the soccer families, a nice family I might add. That left little time for a bike ride. I devised a fiendish plot wherein I would ride to the party and back, getting in some miles, but contributing to the family thing as I need to do. The route was part of the LBC classic Tuesday night Blankenbaker route, which usually runs from Cherokee, out Rudy Ln to Blakenbaker, down River Rd and up Mockingbird Valley to the park. The house I visited was just off Rudy Ln, so it was a course of which I was well accustomed. B/c I was socializing, I chose to wear my MUSA shorts and a REI shirt. Both articles looked reasonable enough, but both also proved to be appropriate and comfy cycling clothes. The good wife and fam brought me some Keens to wear- thereby not needing to wear the Shimano btbike shoes-, and my glasses. The ride there was okey-dokey.
After beers, chili and a mostly losing UK effort, I headed back home, hustling to beat the impending darkness. I'm so accustomed to riding in the dark in the mornings, but this time I was traveling with nary a light, front or rear. I actually intended to bring a rear blinkie, but forgot. Oops. Henceforth, the first half of the return leg involved me hauling ass on the Crosscheck, even using the big ring for a while. I knew that if I could reach the neighborhood streets instead of the busier painted, divided streets I could get home safely. And that's exactly what I did. I even had time, in the dark, to do a couple extra miles in St. Matthews on the flat streets. My closest margin of error was but a mile or so from the house in Seneca Gds. I saw a car at the 4-way stop ahead of me and let off, knowing they would pull through. As I approached, with plenty of room, the headlights instead began bearing down on me. Mierda! The lights then swung directly in front of me and into a driveway right next to the stop sign. It was a 180 from the sign. Strange.
I just finished prepping the Bleriot for tomorrow a.m. I'm getting up early and hitting the road for a longish ride before another 1.00p.m. game. It was quite strange being on the Crosscheck today. So many of my miles of late have been on the refigured LHT that I missed the interrupter brakes and upright feel. I'm hopping the Bleriot feels natural tomorrow; I think it will.
And oh well, the Cats lost gamely. As usual.
Mileage: 18 (Crosscheck)
October mileage: 290
Year to date: 1891
Temps: 65 p.m. sunny
Weekends have been quite the undertaking this fall. L has had a minimum of 1 game a weekend, and sometimes 2 with his club soccer. Z has now had 5 or so with his Rec soccer. On top of constant soccer games, we've been clearing out the house for the construction project- pics to follow. And inevitably there have been other family commitments. Yikes! Today involved a 9a.m. game, a brief break, a 1.00 game across town, a break and then a 4.00 Halloween party hosted by one of the soccer families, a nice family I might add. That left little time for a bike ride. I devised a fiendish plot wherein I would ride to the party and back, getting in some miles, but contributing to the family thing as I need to do. The route was part of the LBC classic Tuesday night Blankenbaker route, which usually runs from Cherokee, out Rudy Ln to Blakenbaker, down River Rd and up Mockingbird Valley to the park. The house I visited was just off Rudy Ln, so it was a course of which I was well accustomed. B/c I was socializing, I chose to wear my MUSA shorts and a REI shirt. Both articles looked reasonable enough, but both also proved to be appropriate and comfy cycling clothes. The good wife and fam brought me some Keens to wear- thereby not needing to wear the Shimano btbike shoes-, and my glasses. The ride there was okey-dokey.
After beers, chili and a mostly losing UK effort, I headed back home, hustling to beat the impending darkness. I'm so accustomed to riding in the dark in the mornings, but this time I was traveling with nary a light, front or rear. I actually intended to bring a rear blinkie, but forgot. Oops. Henceforth, the first half of the return leg involved me hauling ass on the Crosscheck, even using the big ring for a while. I knew that if I could reach the neighborhood streets instead of the busier painted, divided streets I could get home safely. And that's exactly what I did. I even had time, in the dark, to do a couple extra miles in St. Matthews on the flat streets. My closest margin of error was but a mile or so from the house in Seneca Gds. I saw a car at the 4-way stop ahead of me and let off, knowing they would pull through. As I approached, with plenty of room, the headlights instead began bearing down on me. Mierda! The lights then swung directly in front of me and into a driveway right next to the stop sign. It was a 180 from the sign. Strange.
I just finished prepping the Bleriot for tomorrow a.m. I'm getting up early and hitting the road for a longish ride before another 1.00p.m. game. It was quite strange being on the Crosscheck today. So many of my miles of late have been on the refigured LHT that I missed the interrupter brakes and upright feel. I'm hopping the Bleriot feels natural tomorrow; I think it will.
And oh well, the Cats lost gamely. As usual.
Comments
Sounds like you have an understanding partner. Good job squeezing in some miles. I always find riding in the dark to be very enjoyable. (Better with a light hoping not to get taken out by some large moving object.)